Hamlet and English Language Learners

This is Hamlet month at the Folger. Our production of Hamletbegins previews on April 21st, and it promises to be an exciting one. In addition, Folger Education debuted its new webpages for teaching Hamlet to non-native speakers of English, or ELL/ESL students, this week. Our Shakespeare for ELL and ESL Students introduces teachers to the idea of working with ELL/ESL students, and our Tips for Teaching ELL and ESL Students Shakespeare page is filled with helpful suggestions for teaching Shakespeare. Teachers will find the first two featured lesson plans are focused on pre-reading exercises for getting students ready to read not only Hamlet but any of Shakespeare’s plays. We asked a number of teachers about teaching Shakespeare to non-native speakers. After taking a look at what Carol Petrallia and Christina Porter have put together, what would you add to help ELL/ESL students have a positive experience with Shakespeare’s plays? What have been some of your own experiences working with ELL/ESL students and Shakespeare’s plays?